1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for trimming or cutting vegetation, but more particularly to such devices capable of trimming around fence posts, trees, and other obstacles and operating in conjunction with a motorized vehicle such as a lawn tractor.
2. Description of the Related Art
The mowing of fields and other large tracts of land, including many lawns, is often carried out by a motorized tractor with a mowing deck. Although this type of equipment provides a relatively wide mowing path and is thus capable of covering large areas, it is unable to trim closely around trees and other obstacles such as fence posts and rails, bushes, overhanging structure and other protuberances above the ground to be mowed.
Hand-held flexible line trimmers and other types of trimming manual and automatic devices have been developed to trim or cut vegetation around obstacles. Such devices can significantly increase the time and labor required to complete the job, especially in heavily treed areas or other areas having a large number of obstacles that require close trimming. The art to which the invention relates includes the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,566 granted to Gates for a trimmer attachment for mowing decks and directed to a flexible line trimmer attachment for a tractor driven mower deck. A pivotal boom projects laterally from the mower deck and carries one or more trimming heads which rotate flexible lines using motive power supplied by the tractor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,107 granted to Scarborough is directed to a lawn mower with trimming attachments. The Scarborough device includes an auxiliary trimming blade mounted in a housing attached to a swingarm assembly mounted on the primary mower housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,327 granted to Roberts for a mower attachment includes a cutting head assembly mounted on an extendable boom supported by a tractor. The cutting head assembly can be moved in three dimensions without changing the position of the tractor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,039 granted to Remley, et al, is directed to a turf edging apparatus for tractors and the like. The Remley device includes a multi-functional turf edging apparatus secured to self-propelled tractors and including a principal frame releasably attachable to the underside of a standard tractor. An outrigger arm pivotally mounted on the frame includes a rotatable disc wherein such disc provides the edging operation.
The following U.S. Patents further comprise the art to which the invention relates.
______________________________________ Inventor Pat. No. ______________________________________ Gay 5,251,428 Lee, et al 5,224,552 Grube 5,081,829 Morris 5,062,257 Gordy 4,870,810 Wessel, et al 4,718,221 Owens 4,642,976 Green 4,318,267 Fulkerson, et al 4,306,406 Strate 3,812,917 Thompson, Jr. 3,715,872 ______________________________________
Until now, a self-contained trimming apparatus capable of being attached to a tractor or mower and having a plurality of cutting discs with flexible blades, bumpers, a kickback mechanism and height adjustment mechanism in the manner disclosed and claimed herein has not been invented.